…victim files charges, petitions KWHA
…claim untrue, political – legislators
By Mumini AbdulKareem and Kayode Adeoti
Two members of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon Ganiyu Gabriel Afolarin representing Ekiti constituency and his Share/Oke-Ode counterpart, Hon Razaq Owolabi have been accused of beating one Ogundokun Saheed, a tenant at one of the former’s facilities.
The duo allegedly attacked the tenant at night in the rented apartment located at Sir Abbey road, Awolowo Street, Tanke, Ilorin, Kwara State on 17th July, 2019.
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers strongly denied the allegation last night adding that it was nothing but calculated blackmail coming from the opposition targeted to smear their names.
Reacting to the issue, Hon Afolarin said, “This is just blackmail because of my status in the society and people know the type of person that I am in my constituency. I don’t believe or engage in politics of thuggery. This is coming from the opposition who are still bitter about the loss of the last election. All this is just politics.
“I never engage him in physical combat. That is a big lie. If you beat somebody to the extent of removing his tooth, the police will first take him to the hospital for treatment before detaining him. The worst part of it is that the community has sent for me more than three times complaining that the facility is a security threat to that environment, you can go there and find out, complaining that those boys living there engaged in internet fraud and other atrocities.”
He said the DPO of ‘F’ Division, Tanke had resolved the matter with Saheed writing an undertaken to pay the money he owed which is over N300,000 and move out after that adding that his attention was drawn to the petition last week by the Chairman House Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
Afolarin, who said it was discovered at the police station that the problem was between his former agent, one Mr Eniafe popularly called ‘I am that I am’ adding that the money collected from Saheed since 2017 was not remitted to him. He said he had to employ the services of co-tenants and residents to help him arrest Saheed who has been evading him.
“That night, when the police came, they had to gain entrance through the back door after they refused to open the gate.
“When the police came and knocked for long and they refused to open, they gained entrance through the back door and about four of them were arrested with some hiding inside the toilet”, he added.
According to Hon Owolabi, who said he was there and even went to call the police, “There is no iota of truth in the story. How can a true House of Assembly member descend so low to the extent of boxing a tenant till the point of losing his teeth? All this is just trash and it was even the police that engage him.
Hon Owolabi said he was surprised and taken aback by the report which had since went viral in many online mediums.
According to the petition, the lawmakers were accused of acts amounting to Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Trespass, Criminal force and Assault, False Imprisonment, Threat to life, and abuse of office.
According to an online report, Ogundokun’s nightmare began when some people who he described as strangers came to knock his gate but he refused to open the gate which made them forcefully open it and gain access to the compound where they eventually broke his window and removed burglary. He claimed that the lawmakers led about eight thugs and two police men to grievously assault him thereby inflicting injuries on him and removing his tooth. He added that his friends who live in his apartment, Kareem Quadri, Razak Oseni and Ajayi Michael were not spared.
Ogundokun’s counsel Y.Y Ajibade who confirmed the petition last night in a chat told this medium that charges has been filed against the legislators adding that the matter will be assigned today, (Monday).
